BidCactus - A New and Different Type of Online Auction?

Preamble

This article has become extremely popular for thieves. I can't even keep up with the DCMA reports and paperwork. I wrote it, I own the copyright, and I have granted no one else the privilege to publish it elsewhere. (C) nicomp, whatever.

On to the good stuff

If you like eBay, you might enjoy what's going on here. On the other hand, this might drive you crazy. BidCactus.com offers a new and unique approach to online auctions. Similar to the model used by RockyBid.com and Swoopo.com, this is not your father's eBay. Be prepared for a cross between bidding, gambling, and entertainment. Perhaps "bimbletainment"?

Pay to Play?

Like Swoopo and RockyBid, , BidCactus won't let you simply sign on and begin bidding. Bidding costs money. Under the eBay model, all you need is a credit card and a willingness to bid on goofy stuff. Your BidCactus account is free, but you can't bid on anything until you purchase some bid credits. BidCactus charges 75 cents to place a bid. Bid Packages, called "bidpacks" start at 25 bids ($18.75) and go as high as 500 ($375). There's no goofy stuff to bid on, either.

It's all New

Only new items get listed on BidCactus. No used cars are listed. Customer voting (available to you and your fellow bidders) drives the the items that actually get listed for auction. Listed on the home page are several popular commercial items offered as candidates for upcoming auctions. When we last looked, the list included gift cards from Target, Exxon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes. Essentially you're bidding on money. Imagine going to a live auction and bidding on stacks of plastic cash.

Bidding Begins at Free

Almost free, anyway. Every BidCactus auction opens at 10 cents with no reserve value or other sneaky caveats (are you listening, eBay?). Each bid increases the current price by either 1 cent or 10 cents, depending on the item. Unlike eBay, it's virtually impossible to lock up an item by bidding up the price. Since you're paying 75 cents a bid, it pays to bid judiciously. No bid history is available so you don't know if you're bidding against 1 person or the population of China. You might be staring down a cartel of Matchbox collectors.

The Life Cycle of an Auction

Unlike eBay, all the auctions appear to have a relatively brief life span; about 4 hours. Each item has a countdown timer attached to it. Given a page full of timers, each updating once a second, the tension is palpable. It's also tedious if you're watching 8 auctions that don't end for 3 hours.

During our visit, the current price on each open item was between 3 cents and 7 cents. Now and then a current bid jumped by a few cents.

We noticed an auction history widget on the home page. The same three glitzy high-priced items flashed cycled by every few seconds; Canon PowerShot SX10 (retail $399) for .45 cents, Garmin Nuvi 360 (retail $279) for $3.97, and a Samsung Notebook PC ($439 retail) for 45 cents. Repeated visits to the site suggest that this short list hasn't been updated in a week or two. Note: 3 weeks later, the auction history is unchanged. Is anyone watching?

An Interesting Quirk

Bidding on an item adds time to the auction. We watched a bidder swoop in at the last moment. The countdown timer for the item had ticked down to 1 second. As the the current bid jumped up by one penny the timer increased by about 40 seconds and began to decrease again from there. This puts a new spin on bidding strategies. Theoretically an auction could continue forever.

What's for Sale?

When we visited the site only eight items were up for bids. Two of those items were BidCactus bid packages. The remaining 6 items were:

Dunkin' Doughnuts $20 gift card

Home Depot $50 gift card

Apple iTunes $50 gift card

Wii Fit Balance Board, retail $99

$25 Visa gift card

$50 American Express gift card

What's Missing?

A detailed bid history might be nice. On the other hand, since each bid increases the current price by either 1 or 10 cents (depending on the item), the info wouldn't be as interesting as what we thrill to on eBay.

Auction history would be helpful. The only auction history currently available is the rotating set of the same three big-ticket items on the home page.

Here are all of the items up for auction when we visited BidCactus.com. Compared to eBay, it's a different world.

Other Auctions

Swoopo - Entertainment or Gambling?If you like eBay, you might be frustrated by what's going on here. Is it entertainment or gambling? Swoopo provides an "Entertainment Shopping" approach to online auctions. Similar to the model used by...

BidCactus: Is it worth the trouble?

Is it Worth it? We do the Math

You'll pay a minimum of
$18.75 for the privilege of bidding. That buys you 25 bids. One winning
bid on a $50 gift card puts you in the black immediately. of course,
not many people have the discipline to stop after one victory.
Conversely, burning 25 losing bids on a $400 laptop that ends up
selling for 45 cents will be frustrating. Remember that you cannot
change your bid amount; submitting a bid merely causes the current
price of the item to increase by either 1 cent or 10 cents, depending
on the item.

BidCactus describes itself as "Auction
Entertainment". That's hard to argue with. The GUI entertains, albeit
briefly. An auction does take place. Short of slipping in the last bid
before an auction closes, no strategy for locking up an item exists. At
least an online poker game offers calculable odds.

Strategy?

A
simple strategy; bid at the absolute last microsecond. Given that
bidding takes place online, that's difficult to do. After sliding in
that last bid, close your eyes and cross your fingers. You may not win,
but you might get a tiny thrill. Watch for bid sniping utilities to pop up, but don't put too much faith in them. The Internet runs on logic and math.

Auction History (all of three items) remains unchanged for up to three weeks.

Epilogue

Bidcactus may be thriving, but this article struggles onward. Bidcactus may be withering. We don't care all that much any more. Our web filter actually blocks the site and categorizes it as "Gambling." Interesting, that is. We find ourselves too weary to subdue the filter long enough for additional research.

Lately we've observed TV ads for Quibids.com, another penny auction we think. "Qui" must be an shortened version of "Quick" and the bids part comes along obviously. Penny auctions slog forward regardless of the shortage of engaging site names.

Will BidCactus Rival eBay?

Swoopo - Entertainment or Gambling?If you like eBay, you might be frustrated by what's going on here. Is it entertainment or gambling? Swoopo provides an "Entertainment Shopping" approach to online auctions. Similar to the model used by...

This article has become extremely popular for thieves. I can't even keep up with the DCMA reports and paperwork. I wrote it, I own the copyright, and I have granted no one else the privilege to publish it elsewhere. (C) nicomp, whatever.

Author

nicomp really 6 years agofrom Ohio, USA

This article has become extremely popular for thieves. I can't even keep up with the DCMA reports and paperwork. I wrote it, I own the copyright, and I have granted no one else the privilege to publish it elsewhere. (C) nicomp, whatever.

Author

nicomp really 6 years agofrom Ohio, USA

Jhon Franklin 41 minutes ago

"I am very lucky to participate this discussion .I have no such idea about auction. Recently, I purchased an e-book of Auction Handbook. There are easy steps which is very important for everyone .After that I am very comfortable about auction.

If any one interested:-

Visit:- "

Thanks, Jbhn!

Rafter 6 years ago

What's the difference between buying $20 in raffle tickets to win a tv or spending $20 on bid cactus to win a tv?

InquiringMind 6 years ago

I have been watching the site for many days. I joined, purchased a $18-19 (approx) bid-pack and won a $50 Shell Gas card. Then I purchased another small bidpack which I blew. For $38 + $4.95 Shipping & Handling and 2 cents for the card (I was lucky with my timing and made a calculated guess about another newbie ditching the Shell card, which he/she did) I got a $50 card. A modest profit....after reading about jw's Kohl's card I'll be happy when this one arrives. Tracking says I'll have it by 12/15.

The ridiculous thing is the NAMING of these sites as "Penny Auctions" They are NOT penny auctions. BidCactus is a 70cent-bid increment Auctions. I have seen Walmart $100 Gift card go for $17 -20 "Bidcactus Dollars". Thats 1700 to 2000 bids. Lets say it sells for $20.00. The company just sold a $100.00 card for $1400!!!

How the winner made out is totally variable. He or she may have paid 70 cents, $70 or more.

ONE THING I THOUGHT FROM THE GET-GO. THEY HAVE YOU BUY BID-PACKS, JUST THE WAY CASINOS AND ARCADES HAVE YOU PURCHASE TOKENS, OR SANDALS RESORTS HAVE YOU BUY "SHELLS". THAT IS HOW THEY GET YOU TO SPEND SPEND SPEND...IT TURNS YOUR MONEY INTO "FUN-MONEY". AFTER ALL...IT'S A "BID" NOT 70 CENTS. YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL AND BE WILLING TO CLOSE THE SITE AND DO SOMETHING ELSE IF THE BIDDING IS TOO FAST AND FURIOUS.

Also, what you have no control over is that, even in a slow period, you have NO control over someone walking in and placing a bid, negating all of yours. It's not the high bid that wins. It's the last.

Better to go to a store, buy what you need, spend more time outdoors walking, less time shopping. That is how to save money. The End (: (for now)

jw 6 years ago

I paid $75 for a bid package which was all utilized. Supposedly won a $50 gift card from Kohl's, then was told that Kohl's was not allowing the purchase. $75 lost-good lesson. SCAM

belliott 7 years ago

I had never heard of this before. Sounds interesting but I think I will pass. :o)

TerriBruner 7 years agofrom Kentucky and Tennessee

Well, thank you, this is much easier now, than, blindly entering and attempting to "bid" with no clue to the works of the site.

Brando 7 years ago

Curious, I bid on a lesser popular item. I was the high bidder for over an hour. I then placed a last second bid for a 50 bid pack. The second that I placed my bid, I was out bid on both auctions by the same user name. This happened two times more in a row on the same items. I finally lost the 50 bid pack auction and now remain the high bidder of the less popular item (bar blender) and the so called user name that I was bidding against has disappeared.....hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Scott 7 years ago

FYI, I joined through MyPoints as someone else noted. That's the last thing I will ever sign up for through MyPoints. They burned my trust and won't get it back.

And is it just me or has anyone else noticed that there don't seem to be any iTunes gift cards on bidcactus anymore. Am I just missing them or are they gone? If they're gone I wonder if Apple had anything to do with it.

scott 7 years ago

I recently joined bidcactus, purchased the cheapest 25 point bidpack and burned through it very quickly. The concept of bidcactus seems quite ingenious to me and the site is no doubt making a fortune for its owners. It's a combination of ebay and a slot machine and you have about the same odds of winning at bidcactus as you do with a slot machine. Even though I feel cheated, I still feel the urge to go back and try again and until I win something--anything, to make up for the money I spent--just like at a casino--which is why I don't spend much time in casinos and won't at bidcactus.

The most troubling thing to me about bidcactus is the clock. In the FAQ section of the site, bidcactus says that it is to the bidder's advantage to bid as close to the end of the "auction" as possible. On ebay that's certainly true. On bidcactus, each time you bid at the very end, the clock just adds another 12 or 13 seconds (though officially bidcactus claims it adds "3-30 seconds") and the same thing repeats itself over and over with each additional bid. So the concept of "sniping" is self-defeating on bidcactus.

Bidcactus claims that the high bidder when the clock runs out is who wins. That may or may not be true, but when the clock really runs out seems to be the issue to me. The auction ending times seem troublingly random rather than "interest generated" to me.

I watched a 100 point bid pack sell for $11.61 which in a one penny auction is 1,161 bids or the equivalent of $870.75. To purchase a 100 bidpack outright from bidcactus is only $75.00. There was one bidder in that particular auction that placed at least 100 bids to try to win 100 bids--which on its face is absurd as he/she/it/HAL 9000 would have lost money with each additional bid. At one point that bidder was going head to head with another bidder and they placed about 50 bids just against each other so quickly that there were no other bidders who got a bid in.

At the same time I was watching, and bidding, in this particular auction for the 100 point bidpack, there was a 500 point bidpack right next to it. That 500 point bidpack wound up selllng for a paltry $2.70 which makes no sense. If there was such intense interest in the 100 point bidpack, especially from those 2 bidders, that it pulled in almost 1,200 bids, why did they and everyone else ignore the 500 point bidpack right next to it? Neither one of the aggressive bidders bid on the 500 point bidpack and it was won by a different bidder in very short order for almost one fifth of the price of the 100 point bidpack. The 500 point auction started about 40 minutes prior to the 100 point auction and ended almost 10 minutes earlier. There was LESS "interest" in the 500 point bidpack than the 100 point bidpack which again, makes no sense.

Bidcactus says in their FAQ that the auctions are purely "interest driven," which doesn't seem to bear true empirically. Many people have posted online that they suspect bots to be doing shill bidding for bidcactus. Something seems dicey about the site to me and I hope everyone keeps their eyes open and continues to report what they see.

Mike 7 years ago

BID CACTUS is a very funny site, I watched bidding on a couple items for sadly to say a couple hours it was insane how easy it was to spot the computer bot bidding. I would suggest anyone interested in bidding on the site to watch it for awhile first!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pete 7 years ago

Similar to one of the posts on this thread, myself and 5 friends set ourselves up with BidCactus accounts. We each monitored the site for a few days before bidding to familiarize ourself with the bidding process. What we found was alarming to say the least. Every auction we entered was during lower traffic hours, and the six of us would join the same auction simultaneously. We were continuously outbid by a computerized bidding program that IMMEDIATELY would outbid us. I would bid, was outbid by the autobid program, one friend would bid, then he would be outbid by the autobid program, and so on, so every six bids collectively for our group was six bids for the autobid program. There were several instances where this "autobidder" would spend 2-3x in bids as the dollar value of the item being auctioned off - ie. $250 in bids for a $100 item. What human being would bid $250 for a $100 item when they are bidding against 6 other people?? In other instances we noticed that the autobidder would change usernames - ie. we would be betting against the same autobidder for 200 bids or so, and then they would stop and another user id would become the autobidder with the exact same frequency - exactly one second after our human bids. The 6 of us collectively lost $450; we did however win once - a $50 gift cards for $.04. This leads me to believe that BidCactus occasionaly removes their autobid program to show that some people do indeed win, which (if you won) would encourage you to believe the site was not a scam. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have and I will gladly provide insight if I can.

Author

nicomp really 7 years agofrom Ohio, USA

@gostrong26: I'm speechless.

gostrong26 7 years ago

I JOIN BIDCACTUS ON MARCH 2 BY MARCH NINTH I HAD WON 14 ITEMS AND SEVERAL BID PACKS. I STARTED WITH THE 25 BID PACK AND ON MY 14TH HIT I WON A MOTOROLA DROID UNLUCKED SMART PHONE THAT RETAILS FOR $714.99 THE TOTAL COST FOR THE PHONE WAS 14 BIDS AT 75 CENTS THE FINAL PRICE OF THE AUCTION WHICH WAS ABOUT 2.06 CENTS AND MY SHIPPING COST ALL ADDED UP TO $29.17 NOT BAD FOR MY FIRST WIN. THIS MOTIVATED ME

TO BUY THE 250 BID PACK FOR $187.50 NOW I HAVE 261 BIDS AVAILABLE. WITH THAT I WON TWO BID PACKS AND A 3M MICRO PROJECTOR THAT IS WORTH $299.99 AND A NINTENDO DSI WORTH $169.99 EIGHT DAYS LATER UPS KNOCKED ON MY WITH THE MOTOROLA PHONE AND THE NINTENDO DSI THE FOLLOWING DAY I RECIEVED THE MICRO PROJECTOR AND MY SECOND NINTENDO DSI TODAY I EXPECT TO RECIEVE MY DELONGH 6 SLICE STAINLESS TOASTE AND MY SONY BRAVIS 32 INCH TV I AM STILL WAITING FOR THOSE LAST TEN ITEMS , BUT IVE BEEN IN THE GAME ONLY 10 DAYS NOW TODAY IS THE 12TH IM AHEAD OF THE GAME RIGHT NOW AND I UNDERSTAND THE RISKS. BUT AT I CASINO IVE SPENT $1,200.00 IN ONE NIGHT AND COME HOME EMPTY HANDED. AT BIDCACTUS AT LEAST FOR NOW EVEN IF YOU PAY MORE, ITS INTERTAINING I SAVE THE GAS I USE IF I HAD TO GO TO A CASINO AND SO FAR ALWAYS GET A PRIZE. ALL THIS INSPIRED ME TO RIGHT A SONG ABOUT BIDCACTUS AND PUT IT ON YOU TUBE JUST SEARCH FOR "BIDCACTUS DEALS" ON YOU TUBE THERE YOU WILL SEE THE TESTOMONIALS AND OF COURSE ME SHOWING OFF MY FIRST TO WINS WITH MY SONG. IM THE GUY WITH THE SOMBRERO. GOSTRON26

Outlander 7 years ago

On another note... I would be love to see a posting from someone who has actually received one of the bigger ticket items offered on Bidcactus. Not just a giftcard. I would sure feel more confident in the sight if I saw some real feedback from some of those winners.

If Bidcactus is on the up and up they should revise their terms of service about just being able AT THEIR DISCRETION to refund your money to void the auction. Even if they refund your minuscule payment and S/H (no bid cost refund???) they have made a fortune and everyone involved in that auction loses big time. That "option" for them should be seen as a huge RED FLAG and I don't know why it would even be in their terms if they were on the up and up.

They are making so much money they should be able to honestly fulfill the items and still be extremely profitable.

An unedited feedback section on their sight would be another big plus.

Outlander 7 years ago

I actually READ their "terms of service" and I am glad I did.

Even if you win (after hours of monitoring some high retail value auction) YOU CAN LOSE at their discretion.

The most disturbing red flag was that Bidcactus can, at their sole discretion, replace the item with another of "similar quality" (in their opinion) or JUST REFUND YOUR MONEY.

Sure... they wouldn't do that on a gift card (where they are already clearing $150 profit) but what an easy out for them on a computer or a 52" Samsung LED TV (which is currently drawing in suckers)

They have the option of just refunding the winner's money (and it doesn't say ANYTHING about refunding their BIDDING costs at 75 cents a bid). Not to mention all the other poor bastards that bid a fortune on that virtual "TV" and LOST. Hell, they don't even have to have these big ticket items in their possession. They can start a bidding frenzy with nothing more than a stock picture and description. They don't legally have to ship ANYTHING to the "winner".

Ever wonder why their is no verifiable feedback from actual buyers on their site? Just "winner" lists to draw in more suckers. P.T. Barnum would have loved an operation like this.

Just READ their terms of service.

They are a ripoff and making money hand over fist and should be shut down by our worthless government along with the other scamming penny auctions. Better to stick with something like Ebay that has a decent reputation and you have some recourse for not receiving your item or receiving one different than offered.

carlton123 7 years ago

people dont fall for this all you will do is make someone else rich. i have watched some of the so called auctions. a $50 visa card will make bidcactus over $100 profit so if you think you are going to win something for nothing you are not. even if you win one time add up how many bids you have to place before you win that first 1 then how many bids you have to place before you win a second prize. once you have that number multiply it by .75 cents bet you anything that the 2 prizes you did win does not come close to how much you have spent. so people stop being lambs being lead to the slaughter take your hard earned money to walmart and just buy a gift card you will in the long run save not only money but also time. the strangest thing i noticed is that some of the same names are listed as winners day after day after day. think i am joking watch the site. i just watched a auction for about 2 hours it was on a 75 bid package+ a haiti relief donation. the winning bid was over $11.00 not bad right a 56+ value (value price set by bidcactus) for a mere $11+ pretty good value now lets see what bid cactus made. over $700 profithmmmmm not a very good deall for the rest of the people who bet now is it. yes you may win one but think of all the other people who don't but you decide. want to spend your hard earned money on a chance to win a small prize or use your money to buy something that you know you will get? your choice.

christy 7 years ago

SCAM!!!

paul 7 years ago

in bidding 'wars' as they eat up lots of bids fast! It is a lot like going to a casino, but if you take the time to learn, the winning odds are better. The entertainment has some value as well, but you pay for it.

Monika 7 years ago

waste of money. Stay away from Bidcactus.

Lynn 7 years ago

Took my first try at http://www.bidfella.com and got lucky in 5 minutes :) Seems some of these sites still allow to win!

Jeff 7 years ago

What a bunch of cry babys.I have spent over 500.00 and won 9 gift cards,several bid packs. I have got all my winings. Watch who wins a 250 or 500 pack, if they want something they get it.I have been blocked off for wining 3 bid packs and 3cards in a day.Watch this is adicting.

Stephanie 7 years ago

I bought 50 bids for $37.50 and won a $50 Target card. I am waiting for shipment, but it seems pretty easy.

Agnes 7 years ago

SCAM SCAM SCAM!!!!!!!

Don't waste your money!!!!!

elegantstyle 7 years ago

A little bit of educational info for those of you calling bidcactus a scam... The definition of SCAM is - deprive of by deceit. To defraud or embezzle. Bidcactus is very upfront on how the bidding process is designed and if after reading everything they have to say you decide that it's not your cup of tea then fine, don't join. I however admire the ingenious concept and wish them all the success. And for those of you making bogus statements on how it's impossible to win... wrong again! I signed up last tuesday because the whole concept intrigued me I just sat back and watched for a couple of days then finally decided to get in on the action. I won a 25 bid pk for .06 cents because the other members were fighting over the 75 bid pk and the 250 bid pk. So yes it is possible to win if you have the power of self control and a swift eye.

The Avenger 7 years ago

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY! This site is a SCAM. This site has an autobid program where bidcactus employee autobidders win all the time. YOU CANNOT WIN. I wasted $75 on bids. I finally complained to ic3.gov which is a govt agency to report websites that take your money and do not give you anything. Even if you do win, you will pay much more than the item is worth. For instance, if you win a $50 gift card for $5.00, that means you have to bid at least 250 times (half the number of bids-you are bidding against another bidder), 250 bids at .75 each will cost you $187.50!! Save your money and bid at ebay where you are not charged to bid on an auction you cannot possibly win.

TROY 7 years ago

This site is a scam...me and 10 friends all signed up to find out if this was a scam..we watched for a few days to determine times that had the least amount of bidders.we all set on our lap tops in same room...we all bid on different items and never ever placed a bid until the very very last second..if you have high speed...watch the going GOING and have a quick pause..then bid that way you are not waisting bids...collectively we spent $750.00 and none of us one a single item...I have heard of a few people who claim to win..however I believe they are also part of the scam...they have been giving a gift card to place You tube post and positve blogs..DO NOT WAIST YOUR $,,,,you can take my advice and believe me, I have nothing to gain or loose by posting this..or you can believe you will win and waist your money and come back on here after and tell me I was correct!

4somm 7 years agofrom BLOOMFIELD, NJ

that is no auction and it is a fraudulent form of gambling.

u need to visit the site and watch 4 u to understand what i'm talking about."Going... GOING..." and its never gone. It starts all over again.this can go on for days.

They say its a penny auction, i bid is Equal to $0.70. so how is it a penny auction?

Sonnque 7 years ago

@ Ryan, roflol!!! "mamascraps" goes hard, I noticed that too and I've only been on bidcactus for less than a week.......... HahahaaaA!!!!

Josina Blue Eyes 7 years ago

Thanks for posting. I signed up but wanted to research first before bidding. You info was very helpful.

Carrie 7 years ago

Thanks for the review it was very helpful.. psst it is spelled Dunkin Donuts not Doughnuts lol..

But well written and and very very helpful

tarie 7 years ago

if i have to pay to bid... that's already a fail... i'd rather just stick to ebay where it's win or lose only.. not win a little or lose...

Ryan 7 years ago

Well, add me to the list of "would have been's". I signed up for the site, but didn't purchase any bids...the 0.75 adds up quickly. Watched for a half an hour or so and saw "mamascraps" bidding like a mad woman and finally won a 50 dollar gift card. There were several supposed "First Wins" including a Playstation 3 slim that went for 4 cents. Decided to do a little research and this is where it lead me. The site is raking in the cash and the winner gets a deal. The rest of the bidders get the thrill of the chase. Don't think its for me!

erin 7 years ago

thanks for the advice all... saved me a headache

Mandy 7 years ago

I am currently watching a computer. It is over $54. One "person" TRUMP0070 has made more bids than the computer is worth...not to mention that fact that he has 3 items one since 1 PM today and is supposedly not able to win. Total waste of my money. I also signed up through my points.

tired of losing 7 years ago

Wow. I really should have done some research before just jumping into this site. I lost over 300.00 on this site. Something in me took over and I lost all control. The idea of possibly winning to just make a little bit back consumed me. I din't realize it but I had become addicted.

I totally agree that there must be some type of bot responsible for making these auctions go on and on for this little gift card. Its not fair.

kcrocker 7 years ago

I just signed up with bidcactus thru MyPoints. If you look at the big picture it all makes sense. The owners of the site are buying the giftcards and other products at normal price or less, then they are posting them on auctions. Then the bidders bid on the product. While this is happening, there might be 10-20 people bidding on the same product at .75 per bid. So lets say there are 15 people bidding on a $50.00 Macys giftcard on a penny auction. And that the winning bid was $1.50. That means there was 150 bids at .75 each (150 x .75 = $112.50). Then the highest bidder will purchase the card at $1.50 plus shipping at 5.90, and will say that the higgest bidder placed 50 of those bids (50 x .75 = 37.50). So there for the owner of the site made $69.90 (112.50 - 50.00 + 1.50 + 5.90 = 69.90) off of that one auction. The highest bidder payed $44.90 (37.50 + 1.50 + 5.90 = $44.90) for the gift card. So pretty much simple math. As with any business, the owner of the site is making money, other wise the wouldnt be doing it. However, the losing bidders are losing there money, so pretty much you just gambling, if you win you win and if you dont you dont. However the winning bidders are saving a little. I have personally one 3 giftcards so far. I paid for 50 bids at 37.50 and with those won these 3 giftcards at 50.00 values each so i've done pretty good so far, however like all gambling at some point i will lose some money. Thats why it called gambling. You just have to be lucky that day.

EeFan 7 years ago

I wish I had seen this page before I wasted my $37.50. I started to bet with a user name saveDpets at $0.30 cents. And stopped at $1.15. I used $30 worth of bids and did not win the $50 AppleBee gift certificate. saveDpets actually started bidding when there was plenty of minutes and contined bidding with other names. So saveDpets spent at least more than $30 or even more than $50 to win the $50 Applebee certificate. Even if saveDpets is a real person, it doesn't make sense to spend more than $30 to win $50 I wish I did not waste $37.50. But it was fun and I wish I had a web site like bidcactus. I will be rich without much of work. So if you haven't try it but reading this web site. Spend $37.50 at AppleBee. You will have a nice meal for sure.

John 8 years ago

I have a friend that wanted me to help him with a site like bidcactus. In reading message boards like this one I found that a lot of people are concerned about scams. I own a rewards site of my own where people are paid points for taking daily surveys. I suggested that maybe I could offer bid packs as one of the rewards. This would make it possible to earn free bids on an ongoing basis. Do you think something like that would take the fear out of these new types of auction sites?

daivalin 8 years ago

Ok, first off, you must recognized that this is a game of chicken. You want to be the LAST bidder and not waste your money on intermediate bids. The only way for this to happen is for everybody else watching the item to all think somebody else will make the next bid. At some point, nobody does and the high bidder wins. Its like playing chicken with crashing cars, but bidding pushes the cars further apart. Those who swerve, lose the game of chicken (unless nobody swerves, when everybody loses.) When nobody makes the next bid, somebody wins the item and everybody elses loses the money they spent on bidding. Understand?

Ok, that said, it follows that you are incredibly stupid to make the first bid sooner than the last second, because there is no way you are going to win anything for one cent. Yet, watching it yesterday I saw the same ID make the opening bid on six items at once. This is either a moron, a moronic computer, or a company shill. Remember that the site is making a bloody fortune, so most people lose a ton of money on bids. Think about the items that are nothing more than packs of bids. It costs them nothing, yet they rake in hundreds of dollars for each pack. This is not bidding, this is gambling. Very good gamblers win, everybody else loses, the site makes a fortune either way.

Tony 8 years ago

Its a sham and Peri works for them he posts on other sites that talk negative about bidcactus. The same names bid over and over. I counted 120 bids from LUV2bid in less an hour for a $ 50 gift card. At the same time the bot was bidding on two other cards. In a period of 3 hours the same bot won 6 times. aliss2333 bot was bidding constenly at least 3 times a minute on 4 different items. Sure some people may win a card here or there but they are controling the results. I bet you these are the same people that create spam emails. They just found another way to make lots of money for themselves.

mike s. 8 years ago

I joined today after getting a "MyPoints" e-mail on it. Spent $37.50 on 50-bid-pack. Won a $50 GAP gift card within my first 10 bids...but VERY INTERESTINGLY: the timer seemed to lockup at 7 seconds...I clicked "Bid Now" several times but the timer stayed at 7 seconds...no "going going gone" -- then my name stayed on it and I won. VERY SUSPICIOUS.

I then spent my remaining 40 bids on a $50 Best Buy gift card and ended up losing it.

Will see if I actually get my GAP card, and then will know if it was a total sham, or just a partial sham. If I get it, I'm only truly out about $6 after factoring in the price/shipping of the item I won.

:-)

CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!

kk 8 years ago

Tried it. Won a $50 gift card with just the min purchase but prolly won't go back. Think the first win is a hook....bids seem automated. If these are real people, they're not paying attention to how much they're spending on bids. At .75 a pop, there spending more than the item's worth!!!

Beaks 8 years agofrom USA

I'm so glad that I came across this Hub! I was looking at BidCactus and wondering whether I should join. I think I'll avoid it now. Thanks!

TrueStoryRepository 8 years ago

PennyLord.com has a refridgerator for 99 cents.

JEP 8 years ago

Good news. Stuff comes on time. Maybe it's working

guy 8 years ago

Good writing

Peri 8 years ago

Oh, and just to add to my last post, I did receive all my items pretty quick too.

Peri 8 years ago

I have been on and off the site since it started. It seems legit. It's my guess that they were just going through growing pains. First letting everyone as many auctions as possible and then limiting wins to 3 a day. Like many of you, I saw the same names over and over, but now, they are limiting bidders to 30 wins a month. So, I'm seeing players like Snoopy and WitchyWoman much less. They seem to "play" themselves out early. I have won a digital camera, video camera and a few gift cards. Yes, the site probably made money off me, but in the end, I was the winner having payed much less than retail. And, I had fun doing it. Here's how I've won and I hope this helps you too...1) Wait until the "going going gone" phase to amke a bid. Bidding any earlier will only waste your bids. 2) Early in the morning when the auctions start around 9 a.m., around noon and between 5-6:30 p.m. ET seem to be like winning times. At least for me. There seems to be less people bidding then. That's when I've won.

Robert 8 years ago

I watched the site for awhile and saw repeated names winning (like a lot of you)... of course those could be addicts with a gambling problem. People can buy 1500 "bids" a day and win up to 3 times a day (and up to 30 times a month). So you could see 1 addicted person bidding up a storm all the time... but not winning more then that. If you do see the same person winning more then you better start "Print Screen"ing and preparing to sue. Of course, if the site is doing this, and it is SMART, they'll change their Bot names daily.

Here is some math for you. EACH .01 that an auction goes for cost someone $0.75. Currently there is a $100 gift card on there going for about $9.00. $9.00 = 900 bids at $0.75... That auction is selling for $675.00 + $9.00 (900 x .75 = 675)! Minus the cost of the card and shipping and some site maintenance, and the site owner(s) made about $570.00 on that 1 auction! The owner/owners of Bidcactus are getting rich QUICK.

JEP 8 years ago

This is a joke. Get a life people. Thought it might be fun but dont even want to be glued to the site long enough to spend my first 25 bids. Snipers or idiots are placing 100 bids to win a 25 bid pack. How BORING! The only winner on any of the items is 100% bidcactus. I would rather go to a casino!

hop 8 years ago

Just to add to dwilliams59's comments... I too saw those repeated names and this is 2 months later...( withchywoman...)

Hop 8 years ago

SCAM!!! I purchased the right to bid 50 times and paid $37.50. I started early in the morning, by 5 pm I was furious! I was very careful to bid at the last minute but kept getting outbid. I did not even win 1 bid! It's almost impossible! I did see repeated names the whole day thus making me believe they were computer generated. Also if this was an honest autcion site, you most likely would not win... there are so many people bidding on a few items that your chances are almost nil! If you do persist and keep paying so that you can bid even more, you may be out quite a lot of money! So, my advice... it's cheaper to pay for the item full price!

smooth 8 years ago

wow. i was going to give it a try, didn't realize they added time to it...how lame. Witchywoman definitely appears bot-like.

Thanks for the info. No thanks to BidCactus.

bidcactus tester 8 years ago

I strongly feel bidcactus uses bot on their site.I found lot of cheaper item like 25 bid package going for more and same user "snoopy" inflate the price as soon as some other bid.Does not make sense to me.On the otherhand i found Rockybid better.ATleast they are honest and from the bid you can make that out where as in bidcactus i feel something fishy.They put bot on some of their bidding and not all .So i would say Brian you must be lucky.

Brian 8 years ago

Haha, I got the $50 Barnes and Noble card in the mail :) testimonials on youtube guys. They gave me 5 extra bids for the crappy crap. I won another one, I know how to win now, but I don't want to keep gambling, I got addicted and lost $50 at another website. Not a scam, but it will sham your money if you don't win in a good ratio :0

johanna campbell 8 years ago

SCAM SCAM SCAM!!!!!!!

Don't waste your money!!!!!

Brian 8 years ago

I don't know if they actually ship.. I don't care if they are computers because I actually win :0. I won a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card and I haven't gotten any email or mail about it being shipped. So I am scared i wasted my $6. lol.

bidderGrl 8 years ago

zoozle is better

james roberts 8 years ago

dont like concept of buying bids and what i hear about same names

popping up winning all the time makes me weary.whats with buying

bids anyway.so i buy 25 bids and cant go over that also if u bid

last second then 40seconds are added onto bidding so some else

can bid on item or out bid u.sounds screwy to me.with ebay u make

last second bid thats it no more time added on. has anyone (besides

these same names that keep winning) ever won anything?

Author

nicomp really 8 years agofrom Ohio, USA

@dwilliams59: Hmmm....

dwilliams59 8 years ago

I again watched this bidding site and once again the same names are continually coming up, win84me, witchywoman, win4me. I find this supicious and decided not to bid on this auction site because I feel it is rigged. They continue to win constantly 3-4 times aday.

Author

nicomp really 8 years agofrom Ohio, USA

@dwilliams59 some people are feeling that way.

dwilliams59 8 years ago

I registered to bid on this site and noticed the same names bidding everyday for a week. These same names also won several times a day, so it made me think that it was computer generated. I am now skeptical of this Bidcactus because of that.

Monty 8 years ago

It's good that only new stuff is auctioned.

gen55 8 years ago

bidcactus says one thing and does another. They say you can only win 3 items in a 24 hr period. But this last saturday ,I sat and watched people bid and some won 4, 5, and even 6 times in a few hours period of time. Also some of the names that pop up dont even make sense, I feel that there is alot of computer generated "people" that bid so the prices go up and then you have to bid more times thus making them more money. I would like to hear from other people and get their ideas.

maxey 8 years ago

im almost scared to try because it is gambling its really not an auction and you dont know exactly what others have one items for because they dont have the completed item like ebay does

dawei888 8 years ago

Interesting concept. i think it's almost impossible to grow bigger than ebay but it's always nice to have an alternative. thanks. dawei888 :-)

Author

nicomp really 8 years agofrom Ohio, USA

Wow. Strong words!

eBay Person 8 years ago

Does anyone think this is really an auction? Obviously it's gambling first and foremost. The eBay way lets you lock up an item if you really want it or just bid and hope for the best. The fact that BidCactus EXTENDS an auction when a bid comes in is almost illegal. It's no fun at all.

Author

nicomp really 8 years agofrom Ohio, USA

Has anyone else tried BidCactus? I wonder if the items up for auction are still the same.

Author

nicomp really 8 years agofrom Ohio, USA

@Joseph: That's quick. At least your not at the mercy of some eBay sellers who take foerver to ship stuff.

Joseph 8 years ago

I like it. Maybe a little bit of both. They said I should receive my cards tomorrow :)

Author

nicomp really 8 years agofrom Ohio, USA

@Joseph: Do you feel lucky or just entertained?

Joseph 8 years ago

I won a $50 target card, and a $50 Exxon card, after buying $37.50 worth of bids.